#ThisNunsStory prt8 I made my perpetual/final profession 4 years after my first.
I left Sacred Heart & was very fortunate to be able to attend a course at Dalgan Park run by @IrishColumbans as preparation for final vows & possibility of going back to Kenya.

It was wonderful preparation for my perpetual profession.
As with first profession, my community was chatted to & I had a visit to the leadership team. Again, although nothing should be a surprise I was nervous. What if after 4 years in vows these women said no? They didn’t &

the date was set- Sat 23rd Sept. Our big feast day is 24th Sept – Feast of Our Lady of Mercy – and in 1827, the House of Mercy on Baggot Street, Dublin was opened with Anna Maria Doyle & Catherine Byrn, Catherine McAuley's first co-workers. They were all lay women at this time.

In God Alone - The Story of Catherine McAuley, a short film (23mins) can be seen here. Again vows had to be written on parchment with a foundtain pen! Many attempts later they were done! Again a real focusing on what I was comminting to. This time they https://www.mercyworld.org/film-in-god-alone/

didn’t state a number of years but ‘for the whole of my life’. The WHOLE of my life. I will never forget that day. So many blessings So many people made it special. Service was in St Joseph’s Parish & celebration @St_Josephs_Prim Photos show professing my vows & with my family.

We receive our ring at our perpetual profession - a plain silver band with a scripture motto.
I had heard I was accepted for final vows when I was in Knock with the group from Dalgan.
It was during a Mass there my moto came to me - My Spirit Rejoices – from the Magnificat.

Perpetual profession isnt an end, as im sure all the religious on twitter would agree. God never stops forming & allowing us to discover more about ourselves. We cannot sit back & say we are there. It is a new stage, a new part of the wonderful adventure of life with all its ups.

& downs. After my profession I was not going to Kenya but went to Hull and the Endsleigh Centre. This was the former convent. The college had closed a number of years before.
The next year I moved to our community in Peterborugh. We were 5 in community there.

I again was a school chaplain @sjfpeterborough Being a chaplain is a privelidged role - Being with people through the everyday, joyful & difficult parts of life. A role of prayer, laughter tears, cups of tea, juice, sweets, biscuits and tissues.

I was fortunate to meet @ClareWinter1 there. We made a good chaplaincy team. Hopefully you’ll agree! The head would say I had an nack of being in the right place at the right time. She would think I was needed & I would appear – I can only say it was down to God.

From here I moved to Newcastle-under-Lyme then Eltham.
As you can see we do not take a vow of stability!
Throughout my life God has definitely worked through other people in so many ways. & God doesn’t always use those who are seen as ‘holy’ to help us hear.
It was while

It was while I was in Eltham something became clear
My final part of #ThisNunsStory tomorrow.